Knitting machine



Dec. 31, 1935. F. G. WEISBECKER KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 7, 1954 Patented Dec. 31, 1935v PA OFFIC KNITTING MACHINE Frank (3. Weisbecker, Glenside, Pa., assignor to Arcadia Hosiery Company, Lansdale, Pa., a cornotation of Pennsylvania Application August 7, 1934, Serial No. 738,845

18 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in knitting machinery, and more particularly to flat, full-fashioned knitting machines for hosiery and the like. y

In knitting machinery of this type, comprising a series of sinkers adapted to successively advance behind a transversely moving yarn carrier, previous practice has been to employ a yarn guide,

usuallyof steel or other rigid metal, in the form of a tube mounted upon and projecting from the lower end of each yarn carrier, and through which the thread or yarn is led. In normal operation of such a knitting machine, the sinkers, the top edges of which are slightly above the level represented by the lower end of the guide tube, are caused to recede within a sinker bed prior to return movement of the yarn carrier. In actual practice, however, due to sticking of the sinkers, or for other mechanical reasons, an individual sinker sometimes fails to properly recede, with the result that the guide tube of the yarn carrier comes into contact with the mis placed sinker and bends or fractures the same, consequently disabling, temporarily at least, the knitting machine.

Since the sinkers are usually required to be made of comparatively thin material, such as thin sheet steel, the guide tube, if of unyielding steel, as is the customary practice, either breaks or permanently deforms one or more of the sinkers so engaged. This breaking or deforming of the sinkers may result also in breakage of needles, wasting of yarn, spoilage of work, and excessive loss of time through the necessary shutdown of the whole machine in order to remove and replace the damaged parts and readjust the machine. It'will at once be apparent that the reduction in the amount of lost production time of this kind is highly desirable and will improve 4 the efllciency of the lmitting machine.

Moreover, in the manufacture of various type stockings, it is necessary for the operator to set the yarn carriers in different positions. For example, in plating, where two yarns are used, it 4 is necessary to set the yarn carrier higher above the sinkers than in straight type knitting, where only one yarn is used and where the carrier is set closer and lower to the sinkers. With the rigid, guide tube of the prior art, much breakage 50 and consequent loss of time often ensues before a proper adjustment of each yarn carrier can be made. Furthermore, in work such as operator must use extremecare and caution in order to get perfect knitting. Dining the pre- 55 liminary adiustins period, therefore, the entire plating, the

(c1. sa -12s) machine is run at a very slow speed in order to lessen the possibility of such breakage, because of the rigid character of the guide tube now generally used. Such slow running of the knitting machine results, necessarily, in a corresponding 5 loss in production and increase in over-head ex-.

penses. 1

According to my invention the rigid carrier and/or guide tube of the prior art is replaced by a flexible and yielding form of guide member and/or carrier, of such size and shape that instead of being broken, or causing the breaking or deforming of the sinkers and/or needles, it will yield sufliciently upon encountering an obstruction inits path, such as a sinker, so'as to 5 obviate the above enumerated troubles and their attendant loss of time and efficiency. Such a flexible or yielding form of carrier and/or guide member' may take various forms. Thus it may comprise a tube flexibly connected with the lower '20 end of the yarn carrier. The flexible connection may be .a coil or other spring device which supports the guide tube or member to permit of its free flexing in all directions; or the guide member itself maybe flexible. The carrier itself may be constructed so that it will flex at one or more points along its length, or the carrier may support a guide tube by a pivotal connection there-- with which includes springs to yieldingly maintain the guide in normal position.

Further objects of my invention and a more detailed description of the preferred embodimentsof same, will appear below in the description of v the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a 35 knitting-machine'embodying my improved form of yarn carrier;

Fig. 2 is a front view of a yarn carrier withguide tube-mounted thereon; Fig. 3 is a side view corresponding to Fig. 2; Figs. 4-5 are views of a modified form of carrier'suitable for use in the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 6 and 7 are views of a second modified form of yarn carrier.

In Fig. 1 is illustrated a portion of a fullfashioned hosiery knitting machine, for which my invention is especially adapted. The referencenumeral I designates the sinker bed, .in which are alternately disposed sinkers 2 and dividers 3 for reciprocation in the usual manner. Between these sinkers and dividers are located the needles 4, and below the row of sinkers and dividers and at theneedle side of the machine is arranged a row of. knock-over bits 5.

The yarn carrier is designated as S and is adapted in the usual manner to move longitudinally of the sinker bed and lay a thread or yarn I in front of the needles 4 upon the sinkers 2 and dividers 3. The yarn carrier consists of a flat strip of metal, relatively thin, as shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3. The yarn carrier is preferably bent at an angle at its lower end, as shown at 8, and includes a gradually deepened groove or slot 9, at the lower and deeper end of which an aperture or recess I is drilled, and within which the hollow guide member II is mounted.

The guide member illustrated in Figs. 1-3 comprises a coiled spring I2 (see Fig. 3) secured as by soldering or in any other suitable manner in the aperture III. The coil spring I2 also ex tends below and beyond the lower end of the carrier 6 and contains within this extended portion a short tube element I3, preferably of steel or other hard and wear-resisting material. From this form of construction it is at once apparent that if the tube I3 comes in contact with a relatively fixed object, as for example a sinker 2, the coil spring I2 will readily permit deflection of the tube I3 and so allow the carrier to pass without damaging any part or parts of the machine.

The tube I3 may be secured within the coil spring I2 by soldering, or by any other suitable means. I prefer, however, to employ a tube I3 of slightly larger external diameter than the internal diameter of the coil spring, whereby the tube is held in position by friction only and may be removed and inserted readily without the use of any soldering iron or torch.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have illustrated a modified form of my invention in which the yarn carrier 6' is so constructed as to permit fiexure in more than one plane intermediate its ends. This is accomplished by including as a part of the carrier a strip of spring metal I4 secured in any desired manner (as by soldering or welding) to the bracket carrying end I5 of the carrier. In order to facilitate sidewise deflection of the strip I4, the latter contains, preferably, a twist, as shown at I6. A hole in the spring strip is shown at I! to serve as a guide, if desired, for the thread. At the lower end of the carrier, and soldered or otherwise secured thereto, is a steel guide tube I8.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate yet another possible modification or form of my invention, in which the desired flexibility of the yarn carrier is obtained by articulating the body of the carrier as shown at I9. The carrier proper is composed of an upper bracket carrying part 20 and a lower guide member part 2| joined together by the pivot 22. Springs 23 are provided, suitably secured to both parts 20 and 2I, to maintain same in their normal, Qrstraight, position. The lower part 2| is provided with any desired form of guide for the yarn or thread such as the aperture 24. I

While Figs. 4-? illustrate possible modifications of my invention, I have found the form shown in Figs. 1-3 to be preferred and to give the best results. I do not wish, however, my invention to be limited to any specific form shown, but

to include all possible variations thereof within the limits of the appended claims.

In addition to the advantages of my flexible carrier, described above, I have also found that knots and slubs will pass through such a flexible carrier with much less likelihood of breakage of the thread or yarn than is the case with the stiff or rigid arrangement customarily employed.

This result appears to be due to the fact that less jerking of the thread is caused by the passage of such knots or slubs through the flexible carrier than occurs with the stiff and unyielding form of construction. 5

By the use of my invention, also, the amount of spoiled work, and the resulting mending and Waste of material is materially reduced when a machine so equipped is making what is called split work. This split work consists of a cotton thread lapping over a silk thread the distanw of two or four needles. In making split work with the regular carriers the latter are often set so high (to avoid striking the sinkers) that the machine fails to connect the two threads together, and spoiled work results. My improved form of carrier, however, may be set extremely low, without danger of breakage, and such spoilage is substantially eliminated.

Other advantages and modes of practicing my invention will readily occur to one skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. The combination with a knitting machine comprising a sinker bed, a plurality of sinkers 25 movable with respect to said bed, and a reciprocating yarn carrier coacting with said sinkers, of a yarn guide mounted on said carrier comprising a member of flexible material which readily yields for rearward deflection from its normal yarn laying position and with respect to its movement in either direction of travel in event of engagement of said guide with a sinker.

2. The combination with a full-fashioned knitting machine comprising a sinker bed, a plurality ,of sinkers movable to advanced positions beyond said bed, and a yarn carrier adapted to advance ahead of said sinkers, of a yarn guide mounted at the lower end of said carrier and protruding therefrom, said guide comprising a flexible member which readily yields for rearward deflection from its normal yarn laying position and with respect to its movement in either direction of travel of said guide upon abnormal contact between one of said sinkers and said guide whereby to avoid deformation or breakage of the sinker.

3. The combination with a knitting machine comprising a sinker bed and a plurality-of sinkers movable with respect to said bed, of areciprocating yarn'carrier coacting with said sinkers and comprising a. bracket carrying member a thin strip of spring steel secured rigidly at one end to said member, and a tubular guide member secured to the other end of said strip, said strip containing a twist intermediate of its ends to permit rearward flexure from its normal yarn laying position and with respect to its movement in either direction of reciprocation in event of engagement of asinker therewith.

4. The combination with a knitting machine comprising a sinker bed and a plurality of sinkers movable with respect to said bed, of a reciprocating yarn carrier coacting with said sinkers and comprising a bracket carrying member,

a guide member, pivotal means joining said members for pivotal movement of said guide member in the line of travel and in either direction of movement of said guide member, and spring means associated with both of said members normally holding said members in an alined position but permitting relative angular movement to eiIect rearward deflectionof the guide member in both directions of its travel in event of engagement of a sinker therewith.

5. The combination with a knitting machine comprising a sinker bed and a plurality of sinkers movable with respect to said bed, of a reciprocating yarn carrier coacting with said sinkers and comprising a guide tip and a supporting member of flexible material which readily yields for rearward deflection from its normal yarn laying position and with respect to its movement in either direction of travel in event of engagement of said tip with a sinker. i

6. The combination with a knitting machine comprising a sinker bed and a plurality of sinkers movable-with respect to said bed, of a reciprocating yarn carrier coacting with said sink- 'ers and comprising a guide tip and a member of spring metal which supports said tip and readily yields for rearward deflection from its normal yarn laying position and with respect to its movementin either direction of travel in event of engagement of said guide tip with a sinker.

7. A yarn carrier for use with knitting .ma-

chines on which the carrier is adapted to be supported for rectilinear reciprocating movement in the laying of a yarn to be knitted, the said carrier comprising an arm, a yarn guide'carried at the lower end thereof, and yielding means interposed between opposite ends of the carrier, the said means being constructed to permit rearward deflection of the yarn guide from its normal yarn laying position in both directions of its travel and to restore the guide to its normal operative position after deflection.

8. The combination with a knitting machine comprising a sinker bed and a plurality of sinkers movable with respectto said bed, means travelling back and forth lengthwise of said bed for laying yarn along said sinker bed, said means comprising a guide tip, a supporting arm for said guide top, and resilient means interposed between said supporting arm and said tip for maintaining the guide in a normal operative position and yielding to permit rearward deflection of said guide tip in either direction in the line of travel in event of engagement of the guide tip with an obstruction during its back and forth travel.

9. A yam carrier for use on flat knitting machines, comprising an attaching portion,.a guide tip, and a yielding connection interposed between said portion and said guide, said connection providing for deflection of said guide tip in more than one plane with respect to said attaching portion.

10. The combination with a knitting machine comprising a sinker bed, a row of needles arranged along said bed, and yarn looping members movable with respect to said bed and toward said needles, of reciprocating means movable parallel to said row of needles and between said needles and said sinker bed for laying .yarn along said members, said means comprising a yarn laying guide tip yieldingly supported to permit rearward deflection from its normal yarn laying position and with respect to its movement in either direction of travel in event of engagement of said tip with a yarn looping member, said deflection allowing said tip to ride past the engaged yarn looping member.

11. The combination with a knitting machine comprising a sinker bed, a row of needles arranged along said bed, and yarn looping members movable with respect to said bed and toward said needles, of'reciprocatingmeans movable parallel to said row of'needles and. between said needles her.

deflection from itsnormal yarn laying position and with respect to its movement in either direction of travel in event of engagement of said tip with a yarn looping member and to provide for return of said tip to normal operative posi 5 tion after deflection, said deflection allowing said tip to ride past the engaged yarn looping mem- 12. The combination with a knitting machine comprising a sinker bed, a row of needles arranged along said bed, and yarn looping members movable with respect to-said bed and toward said needles, of recpirocating means movable parallel to said row of needles and between said needles and said sinker bed for laying yarn along said members, said means comprising a'yarn laying guide tip pivotally supported to permit rearward deflection from its normal yarn laying position and with respect to its movement in either able parallel to said row of needles and between said needles and said sinker bed for laying yarn along said members, means pivotally supporting said guide tip to permit its rearward deflection from normal yarn laying position and with re--: spect to its movement in either direction of travel in event of engagement of said tip with a yarn looping member, said deflection allowing said tip to ride past the engaged yarn looping member, and means for returning said tip to normal operative position after deflection.

14. A yarn carrier for use with straight knitting machines having a sinker bed, a row of needles arranged along said bed, and yam'looping members movable with respect to said bed and toward said needles, said yarn carrier comprising a guide tip adapted to reciprocate parallel to said row of needles and between said needles and said sinker bed for laying yarn along said members, and means yieldingly supporting said guide tip to permit its rearward deflection from normal yarn laying position and with respect to its movement in either direction of travel in event of engagement of said tip with a yarn looping member. Y

15. A yarn carrier for use with straight knitting machines having a sinker bed, a row of needles arranged along said bed, and yarn looping members movable with respect to said bed and, toward said needles:-said yarn carrier comprising a guide tube adapted to reciprocate parallel to said row of needles, between said needles and said sinker bed, and in a direction normal to its axis for laying yarn along said members; and means yieldingly supporting said guide tube to permit its shifting in substantially the plane of movement of said guide tube in its yarn laying movement in either direction of travel in event of engagement with a yarn looping member, said shifting allowing said tube to ride past the engaged yarn looping member.

16. A yarn carrier for use machines having a sinker bed, a plurality of sinkers movable with respect to said bed, and provision for reciprocating the yarn carrier to lay yarn along said sinkersfsaid yarn carrier comprising a guide tip and a supporting member of 75 in straight knitting flexible material which readily yields for rearward deflection from its normal yarn laying position and with respect to its movement in either direction of travel in event of engagement of said tip with a sinker.

1'7. A yarn carrier for use in straight knitting machines having a sinker bed, a plurality of sinkers movable with respect to said bed, and provision for reciprocating the yarn carrier to lay yarn along said sinkers, said yarn carrier comprising a. guide tip and a supporting member of flexible material which readily yields for rearward deflection from its normal yarn laying position and with respect to its movement in either direction of travel in event of engagement of said tip with a sinker and which restores said tip to normal position after deflection.

18. A yarn carrier for use with straight knitting mazchines having a sinker bed, a row of needles arranged along said bed, and yarn looping members movable with respect to said bed and toward said needles, said yarn carrier comprising a yarn laying guide tip pivotally supported to permit rearward deflection from its normal yarn laying position and with respect to its movement in either direction of travel in event of engagement of said tip with a yarn looping member, said deflection allowing said tip to ride past the engaged yarn looping member.

FRANK G. WEISBECKER. 

